Estate agents to boycott Hips
Estate Agents - 24/07/2006 10:57:27
Britain's biggest group of independent estate agents has called for a boycott on the home information packs scheme, known as Hips.
Spicerhaart claims that last week's government u-turn on including a home condition report (HCR) in the packs has left thousands of home inspectors without a future and out of pocket, as the role has "effectively been scrapped".
They also claim that Hips will now be of no use to customers, as they will "offer nothing new".
Paul Smith, chief executive of Spicerhaart, said: "The only hope the government now has of salvaging this mess is to announce a future date when HCRs must become mandatory.
"Without this, the packs may as well be scrapped as they will offer no added value to the consumer, providing nothing more than what is already mandatory in our current system."
Hips were designed to save homebuyers time and money and to increase fluidity in the property market.
Property investment specialist, Assetz, has warned that estate agents will be greatly affected by the introduction of Hips and that the issue needs to be resolved quickly.
If you're thinking of moving home, why not click here to find estate agents in you area.